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Interview tips
Rise to the top of the job pile with a professionally written CV and a free CV review from The CV Centre.
The interview is a core part of the recruitment process for all organisations and is a two-way exchange between you and each interviewer. Interviewers assess your suitability for the role by asking questions which give you the opportunity to demonstrate your abilities and personality. In turn you can ask questions of your interviewers and assess whether the organisation and job is the right match for you.
Informal interviews are often used as the first part of a multi-stage recruitment process. For less senior jobs this may be the only selection method used. The format tends to be a general chat about you and your interests. Be aware that it is still an assessment of you. In structured interviews, all candidates are asked the same set of questions in a structured format. Typically they begin with a brief chronological review of your overall career to date.
Some recruiters use a single interview to decide whether to hire you. Many will use a sequence of interviews to inform their decision. In sequential interviews you will be interviewed by a number of different interviewers or panels in turn. You may find that the questions asked get more difficult each time. Alternatively you may be interviewed by a more senior member of the organisation each time or be asked about a different set of competencies. Answer every question fully even if you feel you have been asked it previously.
Employers are noting your level of professionalism at each stage of the recruitment process. Use a formal style for every communication whether it’s an email, letter or telephone call. It is courteous to respond in a timely manner to offers of an interview and job offers, even if you have decided not to accept. Even more importantly, demonstrating total professionalism leaves the employer with a good memory of you - essential should you decide to apply for any future position with them.
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Before the interview find out:
The interview invitation is likely to provide you with the above information. If not then call the organisation and ask for it.
Ensure that you check the date and time of your interview. Figure out how you will get to the venue and how long the journey takes, especially if you are using public transport. Check for any planned disruptions to road or public transport services and aim to arrive early, rather than rushing in late. This is especially important for assessment centres, where the day runs to a tight schedule.
On the day, make sure you have the interview invitation letter and a copy of your CV, cover letter and application form if you used one. You will need notes of the key points you want to make and the questions you want to ask during the interview. Take some cash in case you need to get a taxi at the last minute or some other unforeseen expenditure.
Decide on your outfit well in advance; ideally it should be a suit or equivalent business wear. Ensure it is ironed and ready to wear. Have a second outfit as a back-up and ensure your shoes are clean. Personal grooming is essential and you should avoid wearing overpowering fragrance. It is probably best to avoid alcohol the night before the interview and smokers should resist the temptation to have a cigarette on the way to or while waiting for an interview.
Give someone all the details of where you are going and when you expect to return. In the unlikely event that you are invited to a private residence bring someone with you and have them wait for you outside the venue.
If you are being interviewed for a job that was advertised, use the job description as a guideline as to what you’ll be asked about in terms of your personality, skills, work experience and qualifications. Other candidates may have similar abilities, employment and academic experience to you. Think about how you might distinguish yourself. It is possible to highlight all of your strengths without sounding over-confident or aggressive.
Know everything you can about the job on offer including the job and/or person specification. Search the web for profiles of employees who hold the same or similar roles and read the relevant occupational profiles in types of jobs.
Research your prospective employer organisation. Employers will expect that you will have at least researched their website, their recruitment information and their annual report(s). Do more than this - search for media articles about it and consult job sectors for an overview of a range of employment sectors.
Expect to be questioned about current affairs, about how they currently impact upon the sector in which the organisation operates and what developments are likely to impact on the organisation’s future.
If you have a disability, check the physical access to the premises. Let the employer know in advance if you need any additional support in order to fulfil the requirements of the interview or assessment centre. If you do not need any special arrangements, you may choose not to disclose your disability. For help and advice on when and how to disclose a disability, you can contact SKILL (National Bureau for Students with Disabilities) or go to equal opportunities - disability.
Remember that the interviewer wants every candidate to be a great one. Remember also these key points:
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First impressions really do count. If you get an interview you can assume that your potential employers already like what they have seen. The interview is an opportunity for you to build on that impression to secure the job.
It’s not just what you say but how you say it that reinforces the message you are giving and creates an overall impression of your suitability. Here are some tips for making a good initial impression:
Once the interview commences you will continue to make a positive impression if you:
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Imagine that you are the interviewer. Think of every question you would ask to find out if a candidate was the best person for the job. Try to cover all aspects of the job and/or person specification that has been provided. If you’ve been granted an interview on the back of a speculative application then try to anticipate the questions that might be relevant.
Prepare your answers but avoid sounding as if you have rehearsed them. Ask your careers adviser for a mock interview.
Most interviews will contain questions about your competencies and skills, personality, interests and values. Interviewers will expect you to support your answers with evidence from your life to date. A useful strategy for providing that evidence and for answering competency-based questions concisely is to use the STAR technique:
Develop a range of examples of numerous competencies, using the above format. Draw from all aspects of your life. Store them safely and update your examples as you go through your career.
Think of all the questions you would least like to be asked. Is there a gap in your CV? Have you had some poor academic results? Were you ever fired? Prepare an answer to each one. Answer as honestly as you can, without being defensive or blaming anyone. Try to turn your answer into a positive statement with a successful outcome. Show how you overcame any difficulty and what you learned from it.
Sometimes you may wonder if a question has been designed to antagonise you. Questions such as this are designed to test your emotional intelligence, i.e. will you just react or provide a calm and insightful response?
Finally, if you are asked a question that you feel you can’t answer ask to return to it later and, if still unable to attempt it then, say so.
Recruiters must not discriminate on grounds of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability. If you feel uncomfortable about any question then say so. If you feel unsafe or very uneasy, end the interview politely and leave. If you feel that you have been discriminated against, or that your personal safety has been compromised, discuss this with your careers adviser as soon as possible. See equal opportunities for further advice.
Have a list of questions in mind to ask. You may feel that all your questions have been answered at some point during the interview but try to ask some, if only to show enthusiasm and interest.
These might include questions concerning progression opportunities, support for further study or any plans that the company has to expand. Avoid asking questions for the sake of it or asking very basic questions that you should already know the answer to.
If the interviewer does not tell you, at the end of the interview ask when you should expect to hear news of their selection decision and, if you are successful, what the next stage of the process will be. End the interview on a positive note. Thank the interviewer and reiterate your enthusiasm for the job for which you have applied.
Rise to the top of the job pile with a professionally written CV and a free CV review from The CV Centre.
If you have been applying for jobs for which you meet the minimum criteria but are not being asked to interview it is probably time to take a critical look at your CV and application forms. Make an appointment with your careers adviser to review and improve them. You may also find it useful to look at job application advice and CVs and covering letters.
Ask yourself: Am I demonstrating in my applications that I know what the company does, what its products are, what the job is about and how my skills, experience and personality relate to what the job and the organisation require? The written application you send is all the employer has to inform them when making a decision about who to short-list for interview.
Do not send the same generic covering letter and CV to a multitude of jobs. Tailor both your letter and CV to each specific job application.
If you are applying for popular graduate training schemes which have only a few places on offer then think about other routes into the organisation, such as a very junior position, to gain experience. You could also consider work shadowing.
When you make speculative applications, make sure you follow up you initial enquiry. Call them within a few days to ensure they have received your application. If they do not offer you even an informal interview, try to negotiate a short meeting with them at a time convenient to them. You will know by their tone if it is time to thank them and put down the phone or whether a bit of charm and persuasion will get you a foot in the door to chat.
If you are not successful in progressing to another round of selection, or in being offered a job, it is not necessarily an indicator that you have performed poorly. It is merely that the employer has deemed that another candidate or candidate(s) are a better fit for the organisation than you.
It is best practice for organisations to give you feedback on your interview and assessment centre performance. If they do not do this automatically then call and ask for it. Discuss any information they give you with your careers adviser and consider what action you might take to improve your performance in the future.
After interviews and assessment centres, along with the interviewers’ feedback, it’s important for you to conduct your own critical review on how things went. You can really learn from the experience and build on it for the next occasion. Make notes on how you think you performed, asking yourself questions such as:
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You are likely to receive your offer initially by telephone. This should be followed by a formal written offer letter inviting you to accept the job which contains the following information:
It may also include your full conditions of employment including:
The offer may be contingent upon the following:
Keep your letter safely - it forms one half of your employment contract. Seek clarification if there is anything you do not understand or that you think has been omitted. If you have concerns about any aspect of the job offer, discuss it with your careers adviser.
To evaluate whether an offer is right for you, or to decide between multiple offers, you need to consider a variety of factors including: the job itself, the organisation, the location, the working conditions, the salary, training and career development, and your own values and needs. Compiling a list of weighted pros and cons can help you make your choice.
Remember:
If you decide to accept an offer, telephone the employer to state your initial acceptance and follow with a reply in writing by the deadline given or on the next working day. There may be a form or a copy of the letter included with your offer that you just need to sign and return. If not, address your acceptance to the person who wrote the offer letter, stating that you agree to the terms and conditions of employment outlined. Your reply constitutes the other half of your contract of employment so keep a copy and store it safely with the offer letter.
When your offer of employment is confirmed, i.e. no longer conditional, you should immediately decline all other job offers or invitations to interview and withdraw any outstanding applications.
Think very carefully before deciding to reject an offer. Respond in writing to the person who sent you the offer, thanking them and outlining your reasons for declining it, if you feel happy to disclose these.
Send your response as soon as possible so that the employer has time to offer the job to an alternative candidate. Such an approach will reflect well on you, especially if you decide to seek employment with the organisation again in the future.
